Pope Francis has renewed his strong appeal for peace in Syria, where
there is currently one of the mostly deadly armed conflicts, with
one of the highest ratios of civilian casualties compared with that
of the military, with the largest number of internally displaced
persons and refugees. The violence and all sorts of abuse have
reached untold levels, without any consideration to human dignity.

It is worthy to recall Pope Francis’ words spoken to the
participants during the audience, expressing his particular
closeness to the Christian communities of the region and the entire
population: “How much suffering must there be before a political
solution to the crisis is found?”. “The work of the Catholic
charitable agencies is extremely significant: assisting the Syrian
population, without regard for ethnic or religious affiliation, is
the most direct way to contribute to peace and to the upbuilding of
a society open and welcoming to all of its different constituent
parts.”

1. The Pontifical Council Cor Unum convened on the 4th and
5th of June a meeting of humanitarian coordination for the crisis in
Syria. This encounter was attended by about 25 representatives of
local churches, charitable organizations active in the area,
institutional donors of the Catholic world, the Holy See and the
Apostolic Nuncio in Syria. They have reaffirmed their continued
commitment and renewed the Holy Father’s appeal to cease all
violence and open paths of dialogue and reconciliation, in respect
for all.

2. The local churches have given concrete answers to the population
both in Syria and throughout the region, since the beginning of the
conflict, from March 2011 until today. More than 400,000 people are
assisted on a regular basis without any discrimination, with
humanitarian aid, in the social, health care and educational fields,
for a total of over 25 million Euros. The reports that were brought
forth, the result of direct experience on site, in Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, Turkey and other countries where refugees continue to
arrive, confirm the extent of the tragedy: there are almost 7
million people in need of humanitarian assistance, more than 4.5
million internally displaced people and more people seeking safety
outside the borders of the country (Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq
have already welcomed more than 2 million Syrian refugees).

3. A more careful analysis of the needs in the field has shown that,
with the arrival of summer, there will be an increase in the risk of
epidemics, lack of medicines and assistance to the affected
population, especially for pregnant women and infants, the elderly
and the disabled. The overall situation of logistics, safety and
humanitarian protection is disturbing and will get worse if a
solution is not found to ensure respect for humanitarian law in
general, and in particular, the safe humanitarian access to deliver
aid and especially if a truce or at least a ceasefire is not called.

4. All this will require an even greater and more complex effort
from Catholic charitable organizations. Therefore, the Pontifical
Council Cor Unum makes an appeal on behalf of all the
organizations present at the meeting, to financially support the
efforts of humanitarian assistance and the pursuit of peace, in view
of the desired reconstruction of a torn and destroyed country.

5. The international community must provide more support to
countries that are receiving refugees and humanitarian operations in
order to meet their growing needs. The mediation efforts of the
international community, although more determined than in previous
months, seem still insufficient. Thus, the risks are increasingly
high that Syria would become another endless war, in which the first
victims are civilians, treated as targets and often as direct and
indirect victims of the ongoing violence, “a senseless slaughter”
left to itself.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the following
organizations: Aid to the Church in Need International, AVSI
Foundation, CAFOD, Caritas Austria, Caritas France, Caritas Germany,
Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Jordan, Caritas Lebanon,
Caritas Luxemburg, Caritas Middle East and North Africa (Caritas
MONA), Caritas Syria, Caritas Turkey, Catholic Near East Welfare
Association (CNEWA), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), International
Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), International Confederation of
the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
and Sovereign Military Order of Malta.